Browsed byAuthor: cookies-n-cakes

Are you craving for a juicy and delicious steak?Well, for all the meat lovers out there, there’s a hassle-free solution- an electric smoker. It is a prodigy in the world of cooking meat with ease and efficacy. But there are some serious doubts about using electric smokers for smoking meat, it is looked down upon.

People are under the impression, that electric smoker can’t cook meat authentically, as the olden fashioned method of using conventional smokers running on charcoal or lumber.

Let’s bust all the myth that revolve around using electric smokers!

BURNS A HOLE IN THE POCKET

It is widely presumed that purchasing an electric smoker is way more expensive than a conventional smoker that runs on charcoal. It couldn’t be further away from the truth. You can find a top-notch, high-quality electric smoker for $200 approx. which is not far off from a basic grill or smoker. So, all you have to do is log on to the internet and choose a well-reviewed, inexpensive electric smoker that wouldn’t bust your bank account!

TEDIOUS PROCESS

There is a common misconception regarding electric smokers, that they require a lot more time. In reality, it’s quite the opposite! All you need to do is set it and forget it. They don’t require your constant attention, unlike conventional smokers. Prep the items, set them on the racks and set the temperature. There you go! All you have to is wait for a while and then, you can enjoy your scrumptious meal. This process takes way less time than conventional smokers and there is no need to constantly keep tabs on the piece of meat cooking.

BOUND TO MALFUNCTION

This is a very outdated opinion, that since it is an electronic device, it will eventually have some sort of setback. The main intention should be to select a product that has great reviews on websites and to purchase it from a trusted manufacturer. Choose wisely, take into account the warranty period and customer services available. In the end, the more you research about various electric smokers, the better! This will help you arrive to an accurate result.

NEEDS COMPREHENSIVE CLEANING

As it is an electronic product, people are under the impression that the cleaning process will be meticulous and painstaking. All you have to do is rinse and empty, the wood chips that are burnt into ashes from the bottom tray.

This requires hardly any time. The process is quick, simple and not problematic. It involves minimal attention. The bottom tray should be cleaned after every time you smoke a piece of meat, this ensures that your electronic smoker will remain in a decent condition.

NOT EVERYONE’S CUP OF TEA

The electronic smoker is not a complicated piece of technology. For someone who is not well-acquainted with cooking, they can use the smoker without much effort. The new-age electronic smokers operate with remotes to control the temperature and time setting feature. One can always seek help from the manuals or various blogs published online. The best way is to contact the customer service if you require aid with operating the electronic smoker. As a beginner, you can also check out the videos online that will help you to cook a great meal and be cautious of any possible dangers.

NO MORE JUICY STEAK

This piece of technology was built for smoking the meat to perfection!If you end up cooking the meat for a longer duration than required, you may end up overcooking the meat. The trick for tougher meat is to cook it for a longer period, in order for the collagen chains to dissipate and give you a tender and juicy end product.Voilà, now you can enjoy this juicy piece of meat with all your loved ones.

HIGH ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION

There is this ridiculous assumption that an electric smoker consumes humongous amounts of electricity. This is a false statement. To put it into perspective, it consumes as much as energy as a hairdryer. The smoker does not run for the entire duration, it heats up and relies on the stability of the insulated area to maintain heat.

These are few futile myths about using an electric smoker. Go make yourself, an amazing and zesty piece of meat with this modern-day technology.…

You’ve slaved away all day in the kitchen making an assortment of cookies. They cover all your countertops, each one more fabulous than the last! Sadly, as time goes on, your lovely cookies turn stale and crumbly and you must throw them out. Wait… what if you didn’t have to? You can make all the cookies you need and freeze the leftover dough for a later date!

Freezing cookie dough is a great way to make cookies ahead of time or freeze extra dough. You can have homemade cookies anytime, without having to spend a day in the kitchen! Freezing cookie dough is so easy and I find that it works with nearly any classic cookie recipe, just as long as it is done the right way every time.

Want to know the secret? I can help you out with that and by tonight, you’ll be freezing tons of your favorite cookies, storing them away for another day! The only limitations is how much-frozen cookie dough you can fit into your freezer!

1. Prepare Your Cookie Dough
Prepare your cookies dough the same way as you usually would. If you would like to bake some of your cookies (some people prefer freezing whole batches), do this now… in the same way, you usually would. This step is pretty simple.

2. Section The Leftover Dough Into Fractions
With all of your leftover dough, section it into small handfuls (note: the exact amount may vary depending on how much dough you have leftover or how big you want each roll to be. For instance, if you only want half a dozen cookies in each roll, consider putting less dough in each roll.)
3. Wrap It And Roll It!
Place one cookie dough section into a sheet of plastic wrap. Form the plastic wrap around the cookie dough and shape it into a log roll. Take your plastic warp log roll and wrap that in aluminum foil. This just further protects your cookie dough from freezer burn.
4. Freeze Until Needed
Place your aluminium foil wrapped log into a freezer bag. Label the bag with a date and the type of cookie. Freeze until you’re ready to chow down! Most cookie doughs will stay fresh for up to 6 months, but I’ve never waited for more than about two because I bake them so often! Grab a large glass of milk when you’re ready to bake these tasty cookies and slice off some dough from the roll for however many cookies you want. Bake them, remembering that the cooking time may take a little longer. Enjoy your lovely frozen cookie dough until then!…

Wow… this banana split cheesecake recipe is insane. The day I ran across this recipe was also the day I baked it; it just sounded so delicious! Who would have thought that you could take two completely different desserts and make one super supreme snack.

The trick is that this recipe is basically a banana cheesecake. The banana split part comes in the topping. What an overflow of toppings…but how tasty! I’m sure you’re just dying to try this recipe out, just as I was, so why wait any longer. Go ahead… get started now.

Yield: 16 servings
Ingredients:

Crust:

Non-stick cooking spray

1 cup packaged chocolate cookie crumbs (such as Oreo)

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine, melted

Filling:

4 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, softened

1 (8-ounce) carton sour cream

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups banana; mashed and ripe

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 large eggs

Toppings:

1/3 cup canned crushed pineapple in juice, drained

1/3 cup strawberry sundae syrup

1/3 cup chocolate syrup

1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

16 maraschino cherries, drained

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 325°.

2) To prepare crust, combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl; toss with a fork until moist. Press into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray.

3) To prepare filling, beat cheeses and sour cream at high speed of a mixer until smooth. Add 1 1/2 cups sugar, banana, flour, and vanilla; beat well. Add eggs, 1 at a time; beat well after each addition.

4) Pour cheese mixture into prepared pan; bake at 325° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until almost set. Cheesecake is done when the center barely moves when pan is touched. Remove cheesecake from oven; run a knife around outside edge.

Yum! This delicious (yet unique) cheesecake recipe showcases all the delicious flavors a classic banana split in a new and exciting way. Your friends will be so shocked to see the cheesecake you made them and everyone will be just dying to know the recipe! It can be our little secret!…

Wow! I just stumbled across a really neat idea; it’s called the Baker’s Edge Brownie Pan! I remember hearing about this pan when it was first being patented. Of course, this was a couple years ago, but now I’ve found it again!

This fun pan, invented by Matthew Griffin and his wife Emily, is a great alternative to the traditional rectangle, 9 x 13-inch pan. Unlike the traditional pan, the Baker’s Edge is different because each and every brownie from the pan is guaranteed two delicious edges! No more fighting over those renowned corner pieces! The whole pan has edges!

The best part is that this pan isn’t just great for brownies! You can bake brownies, cookie bars, bread, cheesecake bars, lasagna, lemon bars, cobblers, or pretty much anything else you like with that classic edge.

The secret behind the Baker’s Edge pan is in the design and shape. Unlike conventional rectangle or square pans, the Baker’s Edge has a new take on things. Traditional pans cook from the outside in. Since the pan is mostly middle, the outer crust can tend to be overcooked while the middle is still gooey or chewy. The solution is the Baker’s Edge. The Baker’s Edge cooks from the outside in as well, but because of its zigzag design, it cooks more evenly. In fact, you can bake at temperatures of up to 500 degrees! There are metal barriers between each piece (9” x 12” x 2”) so not only do you have the edges you love, but you also get a more even bake!

In the Baker’s Edge, you can still use all of your favorite boxed mixes and such. Also, baking time in the Baker’s Edge shouldn’t vary too much. The only exception is for recipes which call for a baking time of 40 minutes or more. These may bake a little faster.

The Baker’s Edge Brownie Pan, Perfect edges every time– what’s not to love? If that’s not enough, your pan also has slightly rounded corners for easy cleanup. It’s recommended that you don’t put the pan in the dishwasher, but a shot of some Dawn and a splash of water will surely clean it right up (thanks to that non-stick cast aluminium)!

I know that I’ll be headed to the store as soon as possible to get myself one of these pans and I can’t believe that I didn’t find it sooner. As much as my family loves those corner pieces, the Baker’s Edge will surely satisfy everyone and their unique dessert specifications!…

If you are like me, then when dessert time rolls around, you have a hard time choosing just one…will it be a brownie or cheesecake?

Well, fellow dessert-lovers, have no fear! I have just the dessert for you! This chocolate cheesecake, with a brownie twist, is a wonderful compromise to your dessert dilemma.

I especially love this recipe because it is so easy! The first ingredient is from a mix and my mom always taught me that there was no shame in that game! Tell the truth, girls…we love a well done, store bought mix.

In this busy world today, making a chocolate cheesecake isn’t always as easy as some claim it to be. With this recipe, all you will have to worry about is if there will be enough for seconds! Oh, seriously, I adore this recipe.

Yield: 9-inch cheesecake

Ingredients:

8 ounces (1 Pkg) brownie mix (I love Ghirardelli’s)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

16 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup milk chocolate chips, melted

Directions:

1) Grease the bottom of 9-inch springform pan then dust with flour. Prepare basic brownie mix as directed on package and spread the batter evenly into springform pan.

2) Bake at 350° for 15 minutes.

3) Combine the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla; mix at medium speed on electric handheld mixer until well blended.

4) Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Transfer about 1/3 of the cream cheese batter to another bowl.

Vietnamese summer rolls are a light and healthy, kid-friendly meal that can be enjoyed any time of the year. Fresh and not fried, they are made at table one at a time.

The Vietnamese name for these fresh rolls is Goi Cuon which translates literally into “rolled mixed salad.” Creating these hand-held salads is an adventure in itself and the girls love to see who can wrap together the perfect roll.

Vietnamese Summer Rolls (Goi Cuon)

2 raw pork loin chops

1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 tsp sesame oil

2 carrots, peeled

2 small cucumbers

2 cups bean sprouts

2 handfulls of fresh mint

1 head butter or Boston bibb lettuce, washed

2 handfulls of fresh basil

1 package summer roll wrappers

1 package vermicelli noodles

1/2 cup roughly chopped peanuts

Rinse and pat dry pork chops. Remove fat from pork chops and slice thin. Heat sesame oil on medium heat in a sauté pan until shimmering. Carefully place pork slices into the pan so they lie flat and aren’t touching. Sear 2 minutes on each side. Remove with tongs and place in a small bowl for serving.

Boil salted water and place shrimp into pot once you have a rolling boil. Cook for 3 minutes and remove. Let the shrimp cool and then cut them in half lengthwise. Julienne carrots and cucumber into long skinny strips. Soak noodles for 5 minutes in hot water. Drain and place in serving bowl with tongs.

Now its time to make the dipping sauce. The traditional Nuoc Cham served at your local Vietnamese noodle house is a little too fishy and funky for the girls so we make a peanut sauce instead. A little Vietnamese fish sauce is added to give it a more complex flavor.

1 tablespoon sugar

1/3 cup hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tbsp shallot, minced

1/2 tbsp ginger, finely grated

1/2 tbsp Vietnamese fish sauce

1/2 lime, juiced

3 tbsp water

3 tbsp peanut butter

Warm the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger and shallot and cook until lightly browned, about 30 seconds. Add remaining ingredients, whisk well and simmer for 1 minute. If necessary, add additional water until the mixture has a thick, creamy consistency.

The last step is to roughly chop the peanuts and place in a small serving bowl. Place every bowl and plate of yummy goodness on the table along with a large bowl of hot water. Not too hot for those little fingers!

Time to eat! The first step in constructing a summer roll is to soften the wrapper using the bowl of hot water.

This will take a few tries to get it just right – don’t worry, you have lots of wrappers in the package! Carefully rotate the wrapper until it is almost soft and place it flat on your plate. If the wrapper starts to stick to itself, just submerge it in the water for a few seconds and try again.

Now it is time to fill up the summer roll. There is no right or wrong order so stack the filling according to your taste buds. I usually put the shrimp and the herbs on the outside so you can see them through the translucent wrapper. Be careful not to overfill or you will need a fork to eat it!